DTE Energy Foundation announces $420,000 in grant support to encourage vibrant communities and a just society in Washtenaw County

DETROIT, SEPT. 20, 2021 – The DTE Energy Foundation has awarded $420,000 in grants to support Washtenaw County community organizations with a long history of improving lives, creating powerful learning communities and supporting social change.

“Strong, vibrant communities benefit from the support, resources and commitment of community-based organizations,” said Lynette Dowler, president, DTE Foundation. “These organizations and community centers are improving lives and supporting positive social change for Washtenaw County families, businesses and the communities they serve.”

Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation – $150,000 (supporting the organization’s African American Endowment Fund, Parkridge Community Center, and Peace Neighborhood Center)

Created in 1994, the African American Endowment Fund (AAEF), managed by the Ann Arbor Community Foundation, provides support to nonprofits committed to improving the lives of African Americans and people of color who reside in Washtenaw County. With the inspiration of the late John Barfield, founder of Bartech Group, and the support of Community Ambassadors, AAEF’s leadership has embarked on a journey to grow the fund’s balance to $1,000,000 by the year 2025 – the end goal of its “Our Community Cares!” campaign is to increase grant-making abilities to allow the AAEF to serve more nonprofit organizations and increase overall grant amounts awarded to a range of $40-50,000. The campaign successfully launched May 1 of this year and has raised donations exceeding $500,000.

The pandemic has brought into even greater focus the disparities impacting the lives of individuals of color and the extreme needs that exist now, the AAEF will provide two $25,000 grants to support pillar organizations within Washtenaw County, Parkridge Community Center of Ypsilanti and Peace Neighborhood Center of Ann Arbor.

“Both of these organizations have a long history of providing needed services that focus on empowering community members. Our support reflects confidence in both organizations as well as our appreciation of their commitment to the communities they serve,” said Janet Haynes who leads AAEF’s Distribution Committee.

The DTE Foundation’s grant of $100,000 will help grow AAEF’s endowment allowing the fund to achieve its mission and goals for years to come. In addition, the Foundation is matching the AAEF grants to provide the two neighborhood centers with additional resources that will result in positive outcomes for seniors, children, youth, students and families.

The overwhelming generosity of both individuals and the business community has been awe-inspiring,” said David Barfield, “Our Community Cares!” campaign co-chair. “The DTE Foundation grants illustrate their on-going commitment to serving the community and creating greater equity within underserved communities. We sincerely thank the DTE Foundation for their support to help make this important campaign successful.”

Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW) – $270,000

Since 1993, NEW has worked to connect leaders and organizations with essential tools and services that free up focus for mission-related work. This grant funding supports nonprofit fundamentals training for DTE grantees aligned under four pillars (board governance, strategic planning/visioning, non-profit finance, fundraising and grant writing). This collaboration is the next iteration of a relationship that began with the DTE Foundation in 2019.

The first Advancing Racial Justice cohort is set to begin October 1 and runs through March of 2022. The virtual cohort offers monthly programming around leadership fundamentals and racial and social equity, opportunities to gain insight and deepen understanding of nonprofit administration concepts, as well as networking opportunities.

“For NEW, creating cultures of inclusion is core to our work,” said Will Jones III, NEW Communications & Contributions Director. “We can never realize our vision of a just and thriving society until our nonprofits and communities are places in which every person feels they can belong. We're excited to work with the DTE Foundation to ensure that nonprofits eager to advance justice have the tools they need to thrive.”

 

About the DTE Foundation 

The DTE Foundation is the philanthropic arm of DTE Energy, continuing the legacy of community support and involvement of its electric and natural gas utilities, which serve 2.2 million electric customers in Southeast Michigan and 1.3 million natural gas customers in Michigan. In 2020, the DTE Energy Foundation provided more than $16 million in grant support and approximately $21 million in COVID relief to nonprofits where the company has a business presence. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in communities across Michigan in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. Visit DTEFoundation.com to learn more. 

 

For further information, members of the media may contact:

Amanda Passage, DTE Energy, amanda.passage@dteenergy.com, 248.756.5608